Overview
- Poland’s military said two MiG-29s escorted a Russian Il‑20 over the Baltic on Friday after visual identification, marking the third such interception this week.
- The Il‑20 was reported to be flying in international airspace without a flight plan and with its transponder off, which Poland called a provocation while stressing full combat readiness.
- The IAEA warned that recent strikes damaged substations crucial for nuclear safety, with Ukrainian plants losing external power connections and reducing output as a precaution.
- Ukraine’s security service said roughly 160 Russian oil and energy facilities have been struck this year and claimed a 2023 special operation destroyed an Oreschnik missile on Russian soil.
- Russian authorities reported Ukrainian drones damaging a heating plant in Oryol and being shot down near Moscow, while Kyiv’s intelligence claimed hits on energy targets around the capital without Russian confirmation.